Machine for forming berry-baskets



' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. R.- E. MOREY. MACHINE FOR FORMING BERRY BASKETS.

(No Model.)

Patented NOV. 22, 1892.

, PHOTD-LITN THE N (No-Model.) s sheets-sheet 2;

. R..E.MOREY. MACHINE FOR FORMING BERRY BASKETS.

No.'486,617. Patented Nov. 22 1892.-

TNE humus FEYEBS 00.. FHOTO-LITNO, wAsmNuwu. 0 p4 NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ROSWELL E. MOREY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR FORMING BERRY-BASKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,617, dated November 22, 1892.

Application filed April 25, 1892. Serial No. 430,642. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSWELL E. MOREY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Oakland and county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Forming Berry-Baskets; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a machine which is especially designed for forming berry-baskets and other similar receptacles which are made of thin wooden veneers bent into form with a retaining-band around the top.

It consists in certain details of construction, which willbe more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the metallic binding.

In the formation of baskets for containing small fruits like berries, cherries, &c.,I make thin veneers of wood, which are shaved or otherwise split out from suitable stock, having a length and width sufficient to form the bottom and sides of the basket when two of these veneers are crossed upon each other, and then properly bent into shape, and these veneers are secured in position at the top by a metal clamp, which holds the upper edges, thus completing the basket.

My machine is designed to fold the veneers to form the basket and to apply the metal rims thereto after they are folded.

Upon a suitable table A are the guide plates B.

G is the block or die over which the basket is formed, (shown in the present case square in transverse section and tapering from the baseupward sufficiently to give the proper form to the sides, which are bent over it.) This block has a guiding-shank D, extending down from the lower part and guided upon two diagonally-opposite guides B, being notched to fit these guides, as shown in Fig. 3. This shank extends down through the center of the table A, and a lever E is fulcrumed beneath the table, so as to be swung about its Vertical fulcrum-point. The inner end of this lever may be brought beneath the lower end of the standard D to hold it firmly in place or be turned to one side to allow the standard and die to be depressed. A spring F of suflicient stiffness will return. the standard and the dieOto its normal position after pressure upon the top of the die has been withdrawn.

G G are two adjustable guides standing at right angles with each other, and against these guides the ends of two veneers are placed, the veneers crossing each other at right angles upon the top of the die 0, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. l. A guide H is supported vertically above the center of the die (3 from a post or standard I at one side of the machine. Through this guide passes a sliding rod J, having bolted to its lower end a plate K, similar in form and size to the top of the die 0. To the sides of this plate K are fixed the downwardly-projecting plates L, corresponding in shape and position with the sides of the die 0.

M is a lever fulcrumed to the standard I and connected with the reciprocating sliderod J, so that when it is pressed down the forming-plates L will strike the projecting ends of the veneer where they extend beyond the sides of the die 0 and will bend them down, so that they clasp the sides of the die, as shown at N, Fig. 2. The veneers are just long enough so that the ends will project a little below the bottom of the die 0, as shown in Fig. 2. Beneath this die are horizontallymovable plates 0 O,having points P, projecting from the outside periphery, as shown plainly in Fig. 3. Outside of and parallel with each of the sides 0 are horizontal bars Q, bolted to the table. Each of the plates 0 has a guide R projecting from it on the lower surface and sliding in suitable guidechannels upon the base over which they move. Bell-crank levers S are fulcrumed at S and have the inner ends turned up to act on the inner sides of the plates 0. The outer ends extend out parallel with and beneath the guides. The outer end of each of these levers is connected by a rod T with a single vertical rod U, and through this with a treadle V or with a crank or other power deviceifsuch be employed, by which all the levers and the plates 0 are moved simultaneously.

W represents the metallic rim which is to be applied to the upper edges of the berrybasket. This rim is bent into the form of a trough whichis adapted to receive each of the edges of the basket. These rims are placed in the channel bet-ween the plates 0 and Q, either by hand or mechanically, in an inverted position and in line beneath the edges of the veneer N, which has been turned down over the die 0. By movingthe lever E to one side the die is released from its support, and by pressing the lever M down the projecting lower edges of the veneer N are forced into the trough of the metal band, and by placing the foot upon the treadle V through the connecting-rods andthe levers S the plates 0 are caused to slide outwardly, thus closing the troughs against the sides of the veneer, and the points P indent the metal into the veneer, thus securing the bands firmly upon the top of the finished basket. Any form of indenting or corrugating points or edges may be employed for this purpose. When the treadle is released from the pressure of the foot, a spring a causes it to rise, and springs b,'acting upon the ends of the guides R, force the guides and the plates 0 inwardly, thus releasing the basket, and when the leverM and the plates -L have been raised above the die C the basket is easily slipped off and thrown to one side. As the free movement of the plates is sometimes obstructed, I have found it desirable to form projections S upon the levers S, which act against the outside of the guides R or the springs 11 to return the plates 0 to the center, when the treadle is released and the levers return to theirnormal position. By this con struction I am enabled to rapidly complete baskets of this description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a basket-forming machine, the combination of a block or die to secure the veneers and provided with a downwardly-extending guiding-shank, a vertically-moving former consisting of a base-plate and of the plates L, projecting downwardly therefrom, a guide projecting upwardly from the baseplate, a lever engaging the upper guide to depress said former and fold the veneers over the die, a spring under the lower end of the lower guiding-shank for returning the die to its normal position, and a pivoted lever movable in and out of line with said shank, substantially as herein described.

2. In a basket-forming machine, a die upon the top of which veneers are laid transversely to each other and guides by which their position with relation to the die and each other is adjusted, a vertically-moving former consist- 'ing of downwardly-projecting plates and a lever by which the former is moved, so that the plates act to fold the veneers down around thesides of the die with their lower edges projecting below the bottom of the die, avertical central guide by which the die is supported, extending downwardly through the table, a supporting-lever E, upon which this guide rests while the veneers are being folded over the die and which is removable to allow the die itself to be depressed after the veneers are folded, a channel formed of exterior fixed plates Q and interior movable plates 0 and adapted to receive the trough-shaped metal band into which the edges of the basket are forced by depressing the die, and levers and mechanism whereby the movable plates are forced outwardly, so as to compress the band upon the edges of the basket, substantially as herein described.

3. In a basket-forming machine, a die about which the veneers are folded to form a basket,

a vertically-moving formerand means for reciprocatingit above the die, whereby the veneers are folded around the latter with their lower edges projecting below the lower surface of the die, a verticalguideD and a horizontally-moving lever E, by which the die is supported, fixed plates Q and movable plates 0 upon the table beneath the die, forming a channel to receive the band which is fixed upon the upper edge of the basket, indenting or corrugating projections upon the movable plates, levers connected with said plates and with a foot-treadle, whereby movable plates are simultaneously forced outward to compress the band upon the edges of the basket and indent or corrugate it, so as to fix it permanently inplace thereon, substantially as herein described.

4. In a basket-forming machine, a die and a reciprocating former by which the veneers are folded about the die with theirlower edges projecting below its lower surface, a mechanism for depressing the die after the veneers are bent to place, a channel to receive the top band of the basket, consisting of fixed and movable plates exterior to and interior to the band, a lever whereby the movable plates are forced to clamp the band upon the edges of the basket when moved in one direction, and projections upon the lever, which act to return the clamping-plates to their normal position when the lever is returned, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROS WELL E. MOREY.

Witnesses:

S. H. N ounsn, J. A. BAYLESS. 

